1. Field
The invention is in the field of electrical lead wire terminal connectors and more particularly such connectors which are adapted for use in finger-tight connected condition.
2. State of the Art
The problem of connecting electrical lead wires to terminal posts has engendered a very large number of electrical lead wire terminal connector designs. To a considerable extent, these designs have been directed to the problem of easily making and maintaining the mechanical and electrical connection. They range from connection of bare wire by wrapping it around the stem of a cap screw subsequently tightened with a screw driver, to lead wire terminal ends of varying complexity. Such lead wire terminal connectors have, both for single strand and for twisted strand lead wires, been more reliable and less destructive of the lead wires. Also, finger tightenable terminal post connectors avoid inconvenient and sometimes destructive use of tools for electrical setup and dismantling. With tools, excessive force is too easily applied to the connector elements. However, with state of the art lead wire terminal connectors, tool tightening is often necessary for long lasting electrical connection.
Lead wire terminal connectors with flat contact surfaces especially require tool tightening,because of their large contact areas with the terminal post components. Accordingly, there have been a number of lead wire terminal connector designs with upstanding ridges or the like, which greatly reduce the area of contact resulting in highly concentrated electrical contact forces Examples include the lead wire terminal disclosed in United Kingdom patent application No. 2,183,404, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,861,780 and 1,608,578. However, these disclosed embodiments still require the electrical connection be made through essentially rigid mating components. Excessive tightening is therefore often still required. Further, these disclosed designs do nothing to maintain the contact over extended periods of time.
Therefore, a need definitely remains for an electrical lead wire terminal connector easily attached to terminal post connectors to permanently function, preferably without tightening tools.